Snow disintegrating and blowing device



July 2, 1963 K. ENG 3,095,660

snow DISINTEGRATING AND BLOWING DEVICE Filed Jan. 19, 1962 FIG].

.. INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofitice 3,095,660 SNOW DISINTEGRATIN G AND BLOWING DEVICE Knut Eng, Askim, Norway, assignor to A/ S Norsk Lettmetall, Askim, Norway Filed Jan. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 167,253 Claims priority, application Norway Jan. 26, 1961 3 Claims. (CI. 37-43) The present invention relates to a snow blower of the type which, resting on wheels, is moved forwardly by means of a motor which also drives a shaft on which is mounted a tlniowing Wheel, the shaft being arranged longitudinally of the direction of motion, and a snow-guiding funnel being provided in front of the throwing wheel.

Further, it is known to provide, at the front of the throwing wheel, a plane, circular plate having slot-shaped cutting openings, by means of which the snow is disintegrated and caused to enter into the throwing wheel. In use such known snow blowers are driven into the snow, compressing it somewhat before the snow is again disintegrated by the cutting edges and is caused to enter the throwing wheel. However, when moist and heavy snow is treated such compression of the snow in front of the snow blower is not desirable, and as a rule causes the snow blower apparatus to stop its operation.

The object of the invention is to avoid such compression of the snow in front of the apparatus and to provide a device which wifll act satisfactorily on snow of any structure.

According to the invention this is obtained thereby that the throwing wheel at its front is provided with a plate, the axial projection of which is circular whereas its circumference is helical, and which has a radial slot, the leading edge of which slot forms a cutting edge and extends a distance beyond the center of the throwing wheel on the diametrically opposite side thereof. In this manner the cutting edge of the throwing plate, when in use, becomes screwed into the snow in front thereof and snow is removed as the device is moved forwards, and a larger cutting opening of the slot is provided.

Further it as been found suitable that the pitch or gradient of the curve helix of the invention should be so adapted to the feed velocity of the device that the snow is not pressed against the throwing wheel plate as a result of the advancing speed.

Further, according to the invention, it is preferable that the radius of the end of the snow-guiding funnel which faces the throwing wheel plate is less than the radius of the throwing wheel plate but is concentric therewith. Thus the snow can only with difliculty penetrate above the circumference of the throwing wheel plate and will thereby not cause clogging.

3,095,660 Patented July 2, 1963 ing 2 and is driven by a motor (not shown), which is arranged on a steerable chassis which is driven forwardly by means of the motor. In front of the feed opening of the housing 2 there i provided a guide funnel 3, the end of which adjacent to the throwing wheel has a shorter radius than the throwing wheel 1 but is concentric therewith. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the throwing wheel plate 4- has a helical circumference and is provided with a radial slot 5, the leading edge of which forms a cutting edge 6, and which slot extends a certain distance beyond the diametrically opposite side of the center of the throwing wheel plate. The pitch of the helix of the throwing Wheel plate is so chosen in relation to the advancing speed of the device that the snow is not pressed against the throwing wheel plate as a result of the advancing speed. Above the top portion of the housing is swingablly mounted an exit funnel 7, which may be adjusted in two end positions for ejection of the snow to the right or to the left side of the device. In FIG. 1 fully drawn lines indicate throwing out of the snow to the right side of the snow blower whereas the dotted lines indicate the position of the funnel 7 in which the snow is ejected to the left side of the device.

I claim:

1. A snow disintegrating and throwing device of the type moved forward by a motive means comprising a shaft operatively connected to said motive means to impart rotary movement thereto, said shaft being disposed longi tudinally in the direction of motion, a throwing wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation thereby, said throwing wheel being provided at the front portion thereof with a plate member which is circular when viewed in an axial direction and which has a helical disposition when viewed in a horizontal direction, said plate member having a radial slot disposed therein which extends below the central axis thereof, said radial slot forming a leading edge thereby providing a cutting edge, a housing encompassing said throwing wheel and being provided with a first opening disposed in front of said throwing wheel through which snow is directed thereto 'and a second opening disposed in the top portion of said housing through which the snow is directed upon being thrown by said throwing wheel, and a snow-guiding funnel disposed in front of said throwing wheel and communicating with said first openimg.

2. A snow disintegrating and throwing device according to claim 1 in which the pitch of the helical disposition of said plate member is a function of the advancing speed of said motive means so that the snow is prevented from pressing against the plate member to stop its operation.

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized thereby that the radius of the end of the snow-guiding funnel facing the throwing wheel plate is less than the radius of the throwing wheel plate but is concentric therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,679,702 Berger June 1, 1954 2,882,620 Macdonald Apr. 21, 1959 2,994,973 Horner Aug. 8, 1961 

1. A SNOW DISINTEGRATING AND THROWING DEVICE OF THE TYPE MOVED FORWARD BY A MOTIVE MEANS COMPRISING A SHAFT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MOTIVE MEANS TO IMPART ROTARY MOVEMENT THERETO, SAID SHAFT BEING DISPOSED LONGITUDINALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF MOTION, A THROWING WHEEL MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREBY, SAID THROWING WHEEL BEING PROVIDED AT THE FRONT PORTION THEREOF WITH A PLATE MEMBER WHICH IS CURCULAR WHEN VIEWED IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION AND WHICH HAS A HELICAL DISPOSITION WHEN VIEWED IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION, SAID PLATE MEMBER HAVING A RADIAL SLOT DISPOSED THEREIN WHICH EXTENDS BELOW THE CENTRAL AXIS THEREOF, SAID RADIAL SLOT FORMING A LEADING EDGE THEREBY PROVIIDING A CUTTING EDGE, A HOUSING ENCOMPASSING SAID THROWING WHEEL AND BEING PROVIDED WITH A FIRST OPENING DISPOSED IN FRONT OF SAID THROWING WHEEL THROUGH WHICH SNOW IS DIRECTED THERETO AND A SECOND OPENING DISPOSED IN THE TOP PORTION OF SAID HOUSING THROUGH WHICH THE SNOW IS DIRECTED UPON BEING THROWN BY SAID THROWING WHEEL, AND A SNOW-GUIDING FUNNEL DISPOSED IN FRONT OF SAID THROWING WHEEL AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST OPENING. 